The Path to WW1 Flashcards
What is an alliance?
An agreement made between two or more countries that they help each other in times of conflict. They were important for security, but they also meant that a country had no option but to declare war when an ally did so.
What was ‘The League of the Three Emperors’?
Also called the Dreikaiserbund, it was signed in 1873 between Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary to inhibit France from declaring war. Wilhelm II became German Kaiser in 1888. He forced Bismarck, who had helped create the alliance, to resign in 1890, and upset Russia, ending the alliance.
What was the Triple Alliance?
By 1879, Russian influence was spreading and Russia claimed land in the Balkans. Nervous of its expansion, Germany signed the Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary, promising to protect the other should Russia invade. Italy joined in 1882, making it the Triple Alliance.
What was the Triple Entente?
After the League of the Three Emperors ended, Russia decided to join forces with France, creating an alliance in 1892. If either country was attacked by Germany, they would both declare war. Britain was looking for allies, and German policy under the Kaiser was so badly managed they looked towards France and Russia. They established friendly relations between 1900 and 1910, forming the Triple Entente, agreeing to work together against Germany if necessary.
What was the arms race between Germany, Britain, and other European countries?
Industrial output had increased dramatically in Germany at the end of the 19th century. Wilhelm II thought a more aggressive approach would gain them an empire. In 1900 the government ordered the building of a huge new navy to rival Britain’s. The British policy, the ‘Two Power Standard’, said that the Royal Navy had to be as big as the next two strongest European navies put together. Britain introduced the battleship the Dreadnought in 1906 and Germany began building similar ones. The British then ordered the building of ‘super dreadnoughts’ in 1911, fuelled with oil. During this time, France had been building up its army and Russia had been building railways. Germany set about expanding its army to outnumber the French.
What was the First Moroccan Crisis?
Morocco was uncolonised and France wanted to add it to its empire. Germany objected and Wilhelm II made a speech favouring Morocco’s independence and demanding an international conference on its future. The Algeciras Conference was held in 1906 and 13 nations came to settle the dispute. Austria-Hungary supported Germany but Britain, Russia, Italy, Spain, and the USA all supported France taking control of Morocco’s police and banks.
What was the Second Moroccan Crisis?
In 1911 France sent troops to Fez to fight Moroccan rebels, who objected to French involvement. Germany accused France of trying to take complete control and sent a warship to Agadir, hoping to force them to give up the French Congo. Britain suspected Germany of planning to build a naval base, which they did not want so close to Gibraltar. They sent warships to Agadir, forcing Germany to back down. Another meeting was held and an agreement was signed in November 1911. Germany would accept French rule in Morocco in return for the French colony of Middle Congo. The fact that Britain had backed France twice against Germany caused a deep rift.
What was the incident between Russia and Bulgaria, and Western Europe?
Towards the end of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire and Russia fought a war, causing the Ottomans to lose territory in the Balkans. Russia had started it over treatment of Christians in Bulgaria. Bulgaria became its own country after it, but it became a strong ally of Russia, making France, Britain, Germany and Austria Hungary intervene. They forced the southern part of Bulgaria to be returned to the Turks. Russia retained influence over the north as it was to be ruled by Prince Alexander of Battenberg, the Tsar’s nephew by marriage. The north and south opted to reunite and Alexander supported this. He upset his uncle and other leaders by not consulting them, then upset Bulgarians by trying to compromise, and was forced to abdicate in 1886. Now it was not tied to Russia, the rest of Europe allowed it to reunite.
What was the Bosnian Crisis of 1908?
In 1878 Europe decided that control of Bosnia would be taken from the Turks and handed to Austria Hungary. In 1903 Serbia obtained freedom from the Turks and became an independent country. Serbia felt Bosnia should form part of Serbia. They threatened Austria Hungary with war, breaking their alliance. Russia mobilised its forces to protect Serbia, then Germany mobilised as well and prepared to threaten Russia. War was avoided when Russia, then Serbia, backed down.
How did the Young Turks gain power?
Macedonia tried to break free from the Ottomans in 1903. The Sultan ordered his soldiers to kill the rebels. This disgusted many Turkish people. The Young Turks, a revolutionary group, formed, wanting freedom from Imperial rule. They were supported by Turkish people and Christian European countries, and made plans to take over the empire. They convinced the Ottoman army to join them in demanding the Sultan to bring back the Turkish parliament he had disbanded. Faced with a popular rebellion, the Sultan abdicated and fled.
What did the Young Turks do in power?
In 1909, they announced they would do what the people wanted. All Ottomans would be given the vote and Christians would be treated equally, so they would also face conscription. Islamic laws were replaced with secular ones. Everyone would speak Turkish and be loyal to the same government.
What was the First Balkan War?
Macedonia and Albania did not want changes made by the Young Turks; they wanted freedom. The Young Turks were encouraging Muslims to move there, which Christians there were suspicious of. Serbian, Bulgarian, Greece, and Montenegrin forces joined together, with the Russian government’s help, and marched against the Turks. This began the war, in 1912. The Ottoman forces did not stand a chance and surrendered. Albania was given freedom, but Macedonia had a more complicated situation.
What was the Second Balkan War?
Serbia, Bulgaria and, Greece started to argue about how they would divide up Macedonia after the First Balkan War, beginning the Second Balkan War in 1913. Bulgaria turned against its allies, but was unsuccessful, and Macedonia was divided up with Bulgaria receiving a much smaller portion than Serbia and Greece. Feeling vulnerable, Bulgaria allied with Austria Hungary, making Serbia become more hostile.
What happened in the shooting of Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
On 28th June 1914, six Serbian teenagers, calling themselves the Black Hand, decided to show how much Serbia hated Bulgaria and Austria by killing the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
What caused WW1 to begin?
Austria blamed the Serbian government for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Serbia denied it but Austria Hungary declared war on 28th July 1914. The alliance system meant Russia gathered its forces to attack Austria, then Germany declared war on Russia. Germany knew France would join in from their alliance with Russia, so declared war.
